'How good is it when your kids leave home?'

Family man: Ross Greenwood and his wife have raised a son with an adventurous spirit. Image: Nine

Ross Greenwood reveals his favourite parenting moments

Ross Greenwood is a ball of energy. He bounds into our Honey Mums podcast with a beaming smile and a firm handshake.

His infectious get-up-and-go is impressive given his epic schedule. The financial analyst and Nine journalist has already presented on Nine’s Today and after our podcast, he’ll fly to Melbourne, then drive to Geelong for a radio gig. Phew.

Then his wife Tanya will pick him up from Melbourne in a few days on her way back from the Mornington Peninsula where the couple have a house.

You see, the Greenwoods are empty nesters – and Ross and his wife are relishing the freedom.

"How good is it when your kids leave home?” laughs Ross. Ross and Tanya have a nineteen-year-old son, Mitchell – and he’s already flown the nest. “You beauty,” says Ross. “He’s even gone to Canada. So even a different country.”

Ross is not in the least bit surprised that his son is seriously independent and adventurous.

“From the moment he was born he was travelling. (We were) constantly moving around the place. We bred him to be a traveller. So why should we be surprised if, when he gets old enough – he goes and travels. We’re absolutely delighted he’s made that choice.”

Ross reckons you can’t underestimate the freedom that comes from having a child that leaves home. “It becomes almost like you’re single people again. You can go out and do the things you want to do.”

Ross reveals he and his wife Tanya don’t necessarily have to be together all the time, “It works for us.”

“I’m working like a maniac most of the time,” he admits. “So Tanya says: ‘Well you’re kind of boring, so I’m going to go off. She’s got business interests and we both like to travel,” he explains.

And the best thing? Ross and Tanya haven’t downsized as yet so they are kicking around in a big, empty house and “If you only live in two rooms, you don’t have to do any cleaning,” he smiles.

Ross is passionate about families and how they tick. He’s been helping Aussie families for over 30 years, dishing out advice on all things finance.

He hosts top-rating radio program, Money News, around Australia and he's also famous for his daily 'Money Minute' on Nine's Today Show – which might explain his ability to rapidly organise his thoughts and articulate them in record time.

Ross is full of wisdom, especially about how to balance family and career for a successful life. He knows the juggle isn't easy - he remembers it well.

“The family conversation that everybody has to have is: ‘Is it worth my while actually being at work?’ Or should I really instead stay at home and look after the kids? Every family has to make that economic decision. And it’s an individual economic decision.

And it’s not just about money, he says.

“Personal fulfilment is an absolutely important part of work. It’s actually that ability to have, in some ways, self worth. And that’s not to say people don’t have self worth looking after kids, they do and they get plenty out of that. But they are choices that people make.”

“I’ve learned over the years, never to judge. I don’t know what happens inside your houses when the doors are locked. Every family circumstance is different.”

And every family has to work it out for themselves.

Have a listen to Ross and his opinion on child-free airlines here on our latest Honey Mums podcast ...